They're out there, but let's try to bring them in the fold

[Dean May]

Hey, if we agreed on everything one of us wouldn't be necessary. ;-)

 

Yes, I can be accommodating for this kind of work on a 100 year old Brambach
that no one wants to put any money into for a self-taught beginning tech who
has very limited resources. As ugly as it is, it was probably marginally
functional. I could even admire the guy for having the gonads to tackle the
job. I remember being very intimidated on my first hammer job.

 

Don't forget, Terry, that you have the benefit of working in a large urban
area with lots of resources that a guy working in the sticks with only a
Reblitz doesn't have. He does not have access to new pianos to see what they
look like. He does not have lots of skilled techs he can call on for help or
whose work he can observe. He does not have a local chapter, may not even
know how to get in touch with the guild, and is very intimidated by it and
its members. He desperately needs the guild's resources but will likely stay
away if he is called names. 

 

I've shared it before. I worked as a tuner for almost 20 years before
joining the Guild, and even then it was very scary for me. I felt like I was
going to be judged and found deficient. If someone had called me a
derogatory name for work I had done in the early eighties I would have been
out of here. 

 

We need to make the guild inviting for these techs, not hostile. So go ahead
and judge the work, but let's not impugn the guy's motives or character when
we don't know anything about him or his circumstances. 

 

Dean

 

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

 

Terre Haute IN  47802

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Farrell
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 6:57 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: They're out there, but let's try to bring them in the fold

 

Dean - I have to respectfully disagree with you here. Your response implies 

that the type of results shown in the photo are acceptable if the piano 

technician is new to the trade. Whereas it often does take several attempts,


practice, studying, etc. to get to the point where a technician can produce 

acceptable results for certain tasks, from day one, any ethical technician 

should be able to distinguish between acceptable work results and 

unacceptable results. Clearly John's photos show unacceptable results. If a 

technician's skills are such that the work in the photo represents his/her 

skill level, then the ethical tech would sub this work out to a competent 

tech. The piano owner is smart enough to sub the work out (to someone who 

claims to be competent), the tech should be at least that smart/ethical.

 

There have been numerous times when I have started a project and found that 

a certain step was beyond my skill level. I will either redo the task until 

I get it right, or if I feel I can't (or don't want to learn) do it 

correctly, I have subbed the work out to another technician to get it done 

right. Heck, I have even paid another technician to come into my shop and 

work on a task with me because I was having trouble with it.

 

And speaking of hammers - that's why God made Wally Brooks!

 

I have found that nobody knows everything. I certainly don't. But if you can


observe what the typical new piano looks/plays/sounds like, then you should 

be able to identify whether the results of your work are up to par. IMHO, 

any person who claims to be a piano technician and produces work like that 

shown in the photo should at least be able to identify that his/her results 

are unacceptable. If not, then that person is a real _____________________ 

(insert any derogatory term here you wish).

 

Like Clint says: "A man has got to know his limits.....".

 

Terry Farrell

 

----- Original Message ----- 

> Come on now, my earliest sets of hammers didn't look that different and I

> have since taken advantage of PTG seminars, journals and Pianotech. 

> Calling

> names doesn't encourage those at their earlier stages of career to stick

> with us to do what you want them to.

> 

> Dean May

 

> -----Original Message-----

> What are they thinking...

> And why don't these piano tooners that advantage of PTG seminars?

> 

> Crook or grossly incompetent (light's on, no one home)?

> Jon Page 

 

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